Toujours Pur
by GregRox
Summary: A series of short one shots on thoughts and feelings of various Black family members as they are sorted.
1. Bellatrix

**1. Bellatrix**

Disclaimer: Fred is dead. So obviously Harry Potter belongs to JK and not me.

_Italics_ are the sorting hat.

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A raggedy old hat sits atop a worn looking old stool. Bellatrix purses her lips in disappointment. She had expected something more. More than a pathetic old hat. But the headmaster, a useless old muggle loving fool, could not be expected to do much more than that. She stamps her foot impatiently and waits for the sorting to begin. She's hungry and doesn't want to be standing here all night. No wonder her Aunt Walburga said that this school had gone to the dogs.

Bellatrix looks to her right and sees several boys, all much taller than her. She thinks she may recognize one or two from family gatherings but she can't be sure. Maybe the tallest one, called Rosier by one of his friends. Finally it seems like something's happening. Everyone in the hall has shut up and are all gazing up at the Sorting Hat, as if they expect it to spontaneously combust. And then it opens its mouth. Hats aren't supposed to have mouths. But then again it has to say what house you're in somehow. All though in her case it's almost pointless. She's a Black after all. And every Black (as far as she can remember) has been in Slytherin. She's not likely to be placed anywhere else. But then a shrill note interrupts her train of thought. The hat is singing! How ridiculous is that. Hats shouldn't sing. Even magical ones. If her Aunt Walburga were hear she would be saying how improper this was. Of course her Aunt Walburga finds everything improper.

But now the hat is singing about the houses. Any ninny knows what the four houses are. Except for mudbloods but they don't even deserve to be at Hogwarts in the first place. And honestly. The way it's describing the houses you would think that Gryffindors were something more than blood traitors and mudbloods. Or that Hufflepuffs weren't useless scum that didn't fit in anywhere else. The stupidity of the song makes her want to roll her eyes. Which she does much to the amusement of the boys next to her. They must find it as idiotic as she does. Of course the song still hasn't ended and it seems as if they've been listening for hours. Bellatrix stomps her foot impatiently and she catches the eye of one of the teachers sitting at the big table behind the stool. He laughs. How dare he laugh at her! Doesn't he know who she is? She's a Black after all. And a pure-blood. Practically royalty in the wizarding world.

Finally the song ends but then everyone begins to applaud it. Honestly what are they applauding? That was the biggest load of dung Bellatrix had ever heard. Once the applauses dies down (which seems to take several minutes) the tall, snooty looking teacher begins to call out names. Alphabetically by last name. She's very grateful both her first and last name begins with a B because it means she won't have to wait as long as anyone with the misfortune of having a last name beginning with W or Z. But it seems like this year there is an abundance of people whose names begin with A or Ba, Be and so on. It's going to take forever to get to her which is completley ridiculous. She shouldn't even have to be sorted. Just put her in Slytherin after all and get it over with.

After what seems like hours the teacher calls her name with a smirk on her face. She must know what being a Black means and finds the idea of sorting her as ridiculous as she does. Walking faster than she should have perhaps she reaches the stool and plops down on it. Seconds later she feels the hat being lowered over her ears.

_"Aaah another Black. Not surprising. But where to put you?"_

Slytherin obviously you dumb rag, she thinks.

_"Feisty and cunning. And ambitious of course. As well as desire to prove yourself."_

Bellatrix rolls her eyes again. The hat is mocking her. It should sort her already. Doesn't it know who she is and how it's making her look? It should have called out Slytherin before it even touched her head!

Finally "SLYTHERIN" rings out across the hall and Slytherin in table claps louder than it did for the person before her. She stands up in a refined manner and pulls the hat off her head, dropping it onto the floor. Accidentally of course. She smiles in a slightly maniacal fashion as she looks back over her shoulder to see the professor who had been calling out the names dusting the hat off, an expression of annoyance and something else she can't be sure of on her face. Stupid hat. It shouldn't have mocked her.

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Okay Bellatrix isn't quiet as evil or nutty in this because it was Voldemort and Azkaban that made her that way. And right now she probably hasn't heard of him because he's still off "becoming" Voldemort. But anyway Andromeda is next. Oh and reviews make me happy. :)


	2. Andromeda

**2. Andromeda**

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Sue me. But if you do I have to warn you that I have exactly 26 cents in my wallet and I'm sure your legal costs will be a lot more than 26 cents.

_Italics _are the sorting hat. Just like before.

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The ceiling of the Great Hall is really quite interesting to look at. I've heard my sister Bellatrix, Bella talk about it but its one thing to hear about it and another to actually see it. Everybody else is enthralled with the sorting hat and its song but I'd rather look at the ceiling. It was raining, more of drizzle than rain actually, when we crossed the lake in those little boats. But now it's a full on thunderstorm. There's lightening and every few moments you can here a clap of thunder. The sky is a mess of swirling clouds and rain and wind. It's beautiful in a haunting sort of way. I take my eyes away from the ceiling and see that the boy beside me is also gazing up at it. He's sort of peculiar looking but in an interesting way.

"How do they do it?" He says, the awe evident in his voice and I'm not sure who he's addressing but I answer anyways.

"Magic. Obviously."

"Yeah but like how? I don't get it. My parents aren't magic. I don't know anything about it."

I immediately stiffen and open my mouth to speak but no words come out. He's muggleborn. I've never talked to anyone who wasn't a pureblood before. My parents had made sure of that. Muggleborns are supposed to be evil and dirty. They're not our equals. But this strange, peculiar looking little boy is making me reconsider this and I couldn't tell you why. He just seems… normal. Like everyone else. Hardly filth.

I try opening my mouth again to say something but before I can Professor McGonagall, the only teacher whose name I know, calls out my name and I find myself pushing through the crowds of students until I reach the front. All that's visible is a small stool with an old, mistreated looking hat sitting on top. I stop in my steps for a moment and then I realise everyone is looking at me. I immediately flush as red as a tomato. Another moment passes and my feet don't seem to want to move. I'm rooted to my spot and I'm suddenly consumed by fear. What if I trip? What if the hat can't decide what house to put me in? Or worse… what if I'm not in Slytherin? My parents would surely disown me. I'd have no where to go. Our entire family has been in Slytherin as far back as anyone can remember.

"Andromeda Black!" McGonagall calls out again and I turn even redder as I begin to slowly walk towards the hat. A wave of laughter echoes throughout the hall. I'm sure that I'll never live this down. I can already imagine what my sister Bella would say. She'd tell my parents how I didn't move when McGonagall called me like a stupid mudblood.

I sit down on the stool and I the hat slips over my eyes. I can't see anything and I wonder what's going to happen next. Bella or anyone else has never really explained how the sorting hat works.

_"Well… another Black. You breed like Weasley's."_ A small voice says and I almost jump off the stool in fright. I couldn't hear this voice when other people where being sorted so I must be the only one who can hear it.

_"You're definitely not the brightest. Ravenclaw wouldn't suit you… Not the bravest either. But you seem to lack the qualities of a Slytherin that are all too present in all of your relatives. But Hufflepuff… Hufflepuff would definitely suit you."_

I'm glad the hat is covering my eyes because right now they are wide in shock. I can't be in Hufflepuff. Or Ravenclaw. Or Gryffindor. I have to be in Slytherin! It's the only house as far as my parents are concerned. I can't be place anywhere else. I just can't. It's impossible. I'm a Black. Therefore I HAVE to be a Slytherin. It's expected of me. My breath is starting to come in short gasps and I've crossed my fingers, praying that I'm placed in Slytherin.

_"Hufflepuff is almost definitely the right house for you but if you're sure…"_

I've stopped breathing all together and I'm waiting and hoping and praying. I don't want to be anywhere but Slytherin. It doesn't matter what house suits me best. I have to be in Slytherin. I just have to. Finally "SLYTHERIN" rings out across the hall and I let out a deep sigh of relief.

I pull the hat off my head and I walk, nearly skipping in relief, over to the Slytherin table and take my place beside Bellatrix. She looks over at me in curiosity as if she's wondering why the hat took so long with me but she doesn't say anything. I watch the rest of the sorting without much interest until I hear the name "Ted Tonks" and I see that peculiar looking little muggleborn boy take his place on the stool. After mere seconds of deliberation "HUFFLEPUFF_"_ booms across the hall and I feel a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Bellatrix scoffs beside me, just like she's been doing every time some one is sorted into a house that isn't Slytherin.

As he walks over to the Hufflepuff table I feel slightly jealous of him. Because of his parentage he's free. He can be sorted wherever and it doesn't matter. His parents won't hate him and he won't be disowned. I can still feel that sinking feeling in my stomach and I wonder that if things were different would we be friends?

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I just had to put Ted in. And Bellatix. Anyway Narcissa is next up. Please review!!!


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